A Safe Supplement To Increase Testosterone
During my youth in the ’90s and early aughts, Frank Thomas and Doug Flutie were star athletes in their respective sports of baseball and football. Today they are more well known for their endorsement of the testosterone booster Nugenix. I have to give the Nugenix marketing team props because their goofy yet innuendo-filled commercials struck this near-middle-aged man right where it was supposed to. I found myself asking, do I need to hop on the T-booster bandwagon?
My interest in testosterone was also kicked into gear when my dad was diagnosed with hypogonadism. He was 50 years old at the time and his T level had absolutely bottomed out. I remember him telling me that his endocrinologist said his levels were some of the lowest he had ever seen, and that he was amazed he still had the energy and drive to do anything. Worried I might be headed toward a similar fate, I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to prevent myself from falling off the proverbial testosterone cliff. After much research one supplement stood out.
The Science of Testosterone and Aging
Testosterone is one of the essential hormones that make a man, well, a man. It helps build and maintain muscle, promotes a healthy sex drive, and motivation to get stuff done. For the most part until roughly 30 years of age men don’t have to worry about having enough of it to go around. Unfortunately, father time, as he always does, catches up to your endocrine system. Starting at age 30 to 40, men typically experience about a 1% drop per year in testosterone levels. The older you get, the lower it goes. This is completely normal and a natural side effect of the aging process. However, if levels drop too much it could turn into a problem.
Deficient levels of testosterone results in a condition called hypogonadism, which is a fancy way of saying there is a problem with the testicles or pituitary gland and they are not making enough. Symptoms of low T include
- Emotional changes such as decreased motivation, sadness, depression and memory issues, or trouble concentrating
- Loss of sex drive, fewer erections, and infertility
- Physical changes like increased body fat, loss of muscle and strength, decreased bone density, and less energy
That’s a pretty depressing list of symptoms if I’ve ever seen one. Of course, it’s also important to note that these symptoms can overlap with a myriad of other conditions as well as the natural course of aging. Low T could be a culprit, but you can’t know for sure unless you actually get tested. Should you be diagnosed with low testosterone there are several prescription options available to treat the condition. Testosterone replacement therapy is a carefully supervised process used to treat hypogonadism which can have harsh side effects and isn’t recommended for otherwise healthy men.
Total Testosterone Vs. Free Testosterone
An important caveat to know is that T comes in two forms within the body. Total testosterone is all the T in your body, most of it is ‘bound’ meaning it is attached to proteins and moved around your body that way. This type isn’t as ‘active’ as free T. This bound form is metabolized into other substances which are then used in other bodily processes.
‘Free’ T isn’t bound to anything and has the ability to get into cells and go to work. Basically, the more free T you possess, the better off you are. Free T is the type that helps build muscle mass and keep erectile dysfunction at bay
Eurycoma longifolia, Also Know As Tongkat Ali
This is a shrub native to Southeast Asia and has been used for centuries there as a remedy to combat stress, improve strength, treat erectile dysfunction, and as an aphrodisiac. Not only has this been used for hundreds of years by native peoples as medicine, but it also has scientific studies to back it up. There are several studies that show it does indeed increase levels of total testosterone and free testosterone (1). It has also been shown to increase levels of strength due to increased serum testosterone (2). The two studies cited above looked at older individuals, some with hypogonadism. There is less research with young, healthy subjects, yet the results are still promising. One study looked at 32 young, healthy men in their mid-twenties and found that supplementing with 600mg for two weeks led to a significant increase in both total and free testosterone (3). The best part of all is that there appear to be hardly any negative side effects reported in any of the above studies. Not only does it work, but it also does so with a very low risk of harmful side effects.
What This Means For You
Tongkat Ali has a long history of use and has modern science to back up what the peoples of southeast Asia have claimed for a long time. It can significantly improve both free and total testosterone in a safe and effective manner. Increased can testosterone has the potential to improve your mood, sex drive, and better results in the gym from your resistance workouts. Typical doses range from 200 to 600 mg. Of course, as with any supplement, you must do your research and buy from a reputable brand to ensure a quality product. As far as supplements go, this one is rather affordable and can be bought as a pill or extract powder. I personally use and extract powder and mix it with orange juice. Should you choose the powder be very aware of the awful flavor. This is probably the most bitter and unpleasant thing I have ever tasted. The first time I used the powder I mixed it in with my morning protein shake and had to force it down. Now I mix it with orange juice with a milk frother and shoot it down as quickly as possible to avoid the taste.
Frank and Doug can keep their overpriced Nugenix, I’ll stick with Tongkat Ali instead.
References
- Tambi MIM, Imran MK, Henkel RR. 2011. Standardised water-soluble extract of Eurycoma longifolia, Tongkat Ali, as testosterone booster for managing men with late-onset hypogonadism? Andrologia 44(Suppl. 1): 226–230.
- Hamzah S, Yusof A. 2003. The Ergogenic effects of Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia): a pilot study. Br J Sports Med 37(Abstract 007): 464–470.
- Chan KQ, Stewart C, Chester N, Hamzah SH, Yusof A. The effect of Eurycoma Longifolia on the regulation of reproductive hormones in young males. Andrologia. 2021 May;53(4):e14001. doi: 10.1111/and.14001. Epub 2021 Feb 9. PMID: 33559971
